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Tackling skills shortages in the industry

It was recently revealed that there may be as many as 5,000 vacancies in the automotive industry because of a skills shortage in the UK. The sector is currently performing well, with 2015 marking a record year for car production and exports. There is a great deal of optimism for the future with numbers expected to rise further between now and 2020, but the shortage of skilled job seekers is a cause for concern.

Of the 5,000 positions it is believed that around 19% are considered to be critical to the industry, including roles for engineers, designers and maintenance technicians. These are the most crucial to fill and steps need to be taken as soon as possible to improve the number of people training and applying for these jobs. Additional shortages are expected in other areas in the future too, including tool makers.

The Government and automotive industry need to work hard to take steps to resolve the problem. Work is already being done to introduce new training schemes and expand apprenticeship programs. Manufacturers are also being encouraged to build links with schools, colleges and universities to help attract students to the relevant disciplines to help them secure a career in the sector.

The introduction of specialist STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) schools in 2010 was designed to help fix the problem but more work is needed to encourage parents and students to look at the benefits they offer. Currently there are 39 of these specialist schools across the UK with the number expected to rise to 55 by 2017. More effort needs to be made to advertise them and show people they are an attractive option.

At John Gibson Associates we monitor the automotive industry very closely to ensure we provide the best recruitment services for businesses in the sector. We work hard to advertise automotive jobs and help promote them to encourage job seekers to look at a career. Searching and applying for jobs with us is very easy, and we update listings regularly so people can find the very latest opportunities. If you are looking for a career with fantastic prospects you should take a look at the array of motor trade jobs you can choose from.